P. Diddy

Combs has been among the wealthiest figures in hip-hop and topped Forbes' annual hip-hop wealth rankings in 2014 and 2017. His awards include three Grammy Awards, three BET Awards, and two MTV Video Music Awards. He produced and appeared in television programmes, including the reality series "Making the Band", and acted in films such as "Made" and "Monster's Ball" (both 2001) and "Get Him to the Greek" (2010). In 1998, he founded the clothing brand Sean John and received the Council of Fashion Designers of America's Menswear Designer of the Year award in 2004. He was a brand ambassador for the liquor brand Cîroc from 2007 to 2023 and co-founded the digital television network Revolt in 2013. In 2008, he became the first male rapper to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In November 2023, Combs settled a sexual assault and abuse lawsuit filed by his former partner, singer Cassie Ventura. The settlement was reached one day after the lawsuit was filed, and Combs did not admit liability. In the following months, multiple additional lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct were filed against him, including claims of sexual assault and abuse dating from 1991 to 2009. In March 2024, the US Department of Homeland Security conducted searches at several properties associated with Combs. In September 2024, he was charged with federal offences including sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering. He pleaded not guilty and was denied bail three times. His trial began on May 5, 2025. On July 2, 2025, he was found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking. On October 3, 2025, he was sentenced to 50 months in prison, with credit for 12 months already served. As of October 2026, he is incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution, Allenwood Low.

Sean John Combs was born on November 4, 1969, in Harlem, New York City. His mother, Janice Combs (née Smalls), worked as a model, organised fashion shows, and was employed as a teacher's assistant. His father, Melvin Earl Combs, served in the United States Air Force and worked at a hair salon. He was also associated with Frank Lucas, a convicted New York drug trafficker. Melvin Combs reportedly began dealing drugs part-time around 1970. In 1972, when he was 33, he was shot and killed while sitting in his car on Central Park West. A 2010 account published by Vibe magazine attributed the killing to Walter Grant, an associate of heroin dealer Willie Abraham. According to the account, Grant suspected that Melvin Combs had informed on associates following an arrest or intended to do so. Lucas reportedly doubted that Combs had provided information to law enforcement. Sean Combs was approximately two years old when his father died. He has a younger sister named Keisha and spent part of his childhood in poverty. His mother and the children remained in Upper Manhattan for several years before moving to Mount Vernon, a city north of the Bronx.

Combs has said that he received the childhood nickname "Puff" because he would "huff and puff" when angry. He was raised Catholic and served as an altar boy. In 1987, he graduated from Mount Saint Michael Academy, a Catholic boys' school in the Bronx. He played on the school's football team, which won a division title in 1986. In autumn 1987, he enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he studied business. He left the university after his second year. During his time there, he became known for organising parties. Three classmates also recalled an incident in which he used a belt to beat his then-girlfriend outside her dormitory.

Combs began working as an intern at Uptown Records in New York in 1990. Under the guidance of the label's founder, Andre Harrell, he became a talent director and contributed to the development of artists including Jodeci and Mary J. Blige. During his college years, he organised parties that reportedly attracted as many as a thousand people. Usher, who lived with Combs in New York for a year when he was 13, later described Combs's lifestyle during that period as "pretty wild" in a 2016 interview with Howard Stern.

In 1991, Combs promoted an AIDS fundraising event with Heavy D at the gymnasium of the City College of New York. The event followed a charity basketball game and was oversold. A crowd crush resulted in nine deaths.

After being dismissed from Uptown Records in 1993, Combs founded Bad Boy Records through a joint venture with Arista Records. He brought Christopher Wallace, known professionally as the Notorious B.I.G., to the new label. Wallace and Craig Mack became two of the label's early artists and achieved mainstream recognition. Wallace's debut album, "Ready to Die" (1994), became one of Bad Boy's first major releases. Combs subsequently signed artists including Carl Thomas, Faith Evans, 112, Total, and Father MC. The label's in-house production team, the Hitmen, worked with artists such as Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil' Kim, TLC, Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, SWV, and Aretha Franklin.

Mase and the Lox joined Bad Boy during the East Coast–West Coast hip-hop rivalry of the 1990s. Combs and Wallace were criticised and mocked in songs and interviews by figures associated with Death Row Records, including Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight. Between 1994 and 1995, Combs produced several tracks for TLC's album "CrazySexyCool", which ranked 25th on Billboard's list of the decade's top pop albums.

In 1996, Combs began releasing music as a rapper under the name Puff Daddy. His debut single, "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", spent 28 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number one. His debut album, "No Way Out", was released by Bad Boy Records on July 22, 1997. Initially titled "Hell up in Harlem", the album underwent revisions following the murder of the Notorious B.I.G. on March 9, 1997. Several Bad Boy artists appeared as guests on the album.

"No Way Out" debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 561,000 copies in its first week in the United States. It produced five singles, including "I'll Be Missing You", which featured Faith Evans and 112 and paid tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. The song remained at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for 11 consecutive weeks and reached the top of several international charts. Other singles included "It's All About the Benjamins", "Been Around the World", and "Victory". In 1998, Combs collaborated with Jimmy Page on "Come with Me", which appeared on the soundtrack of the film "Godzilla".

At the 40th Annual Grammy Awards in 1998, "No Way Out" received five nominations and won the award for Best Rap Album. On September 7, 2000, the Recording Industry Association of America certified the album seven-times platinum, representing US shipments exceeding seven million copies. During the late 1990s, Combs faced criticism for commercialising hip-hop and relying heavily on guest appearances, samples, and interpolations of earlier songs. In a 1997 review for Billboard, critic Havelock Nelson criticised the album's extensive use of samples. That year, Neil Strauss of The New York Times described Combs as the "king of sampled hits".

In April 1999, Combs was charged with assaulting Steve Stoute, an executive at Interscope Records who managed Nas. Combs had filmed a music video with Nas for the song "Hate Me Now". Combs objected to a scene depicting both performers being crucified, which he considered blasphemous, and requested that his scenes be removed. After the video aired unedited on MTV on April 15, Combs visited Stoute's office and injured him.

Combs's second solo studio album, "Forever", was released by Bad Boy Records on August 24, 1999, in North America and the following day in the United Kingdom. It reached number two on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The following week, it was displaced from the top of the latter chart by Mary J. Blige's album "Mary". "Forever" received mixed to positive reviews from music critics and produced three singles that charted on Billboard rankings. It reached number four on the Canadian Albums Chart, becoming Combs's highest-charting album in Canada at the time.

In 2001, Combs changed his stage name from Puff Daddy to P. Diddy. His gospel album "Thank You", completed shortly before the beginning of a weapons trial, was scheduled for release in March of that year but remained unreleased as of 2023. He appeared as a drug dealer in the film "Made" and acted alongside Halle Berry, Heath Ledger, and Billy Bob Thornton in "Monster's Ball", both released in 2001.

Combs briefly managed singer Kelis and collaborated with her on the song "Let's Get Ill". In 2002, he served as an opening act for NSYNC during their Celebrity Tour and signed the California-based pop group Dream to Bad Boy Records. He also produced the soundtrack album for the film "Training Day" (2001).

His third studio album, "The Saga Continues...", was released on July 10, 2001, in North America. It reached number two on both the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was later certified platinum. It was the only studio album released under the name P. Diddy and the first of Combs's studio albums not to feature guest appearances by Jay-Z or Lil' Kim. In June 2002, Combs ended Bad Boy's distribution agreement with Arista Records, giving him full control over the label, its catalogue, and its artists.

Combs served as executive producer of the reality television series "Making the Band", which aired on MTV from 2002 to 2009. The programme followed auditions and the formation of musical acts intended to enter the music industry. Groups and performers associated with the series included Da Band, Danity Kane, Day26, and Donnie Klang. In 2003, Combs ran the New York City Marathon and raised approximately $2 million for New York City's educational system. He completed the race in four hours and 18 minutes and discussed the experience on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in March 2004. In 2004, he led the "Vote or Die" campaign encouraging participation in the US presidential election. On February 1, 2004, he performed during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII.

On August 16, 2005, Combs announced that he would change his stage name to Diddy, explaining that fans were uncertain about how to address him. In 2005, he starred in the film "Carlito's Way: Rise to Power". He had previously played Walter Lee Younger in the 2004 Broadway revival of "A Raisin in the Sun" and reprised the role in a television adaptation broadcast in February 2008.

In 2005, Combs sold half of his record company to Warner Music Group. He hosted the MTV Video Music Awards that year and was included in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people of 2005. He was also referenced in Brooks & Dunn's country song "Play Something Country".

In 2006, a dispute arose after Combs declined to release rapper Mase from his Bad Boy contract so that Mase could join G-Unit. In response, 50 Cent released the diss track "Hip-Hop", whose lyrics suggested that Combs knew the identity of the Notorious B.I.G.'s killer. Combs and 50 Cent later resolved the dispute, although tensions resurfaced in subsequent years.

Combs released "Press Play", his first studio album in four years, on October 17, 2006. The album featured numerous guest artists and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling more than 173,000 copies in its first week. Its singles "Come to Me" and "Last Night" reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. The album was previewed on MTV's programme "The Leak" a week before its commercial release. Critics gave it mixed to positive reviews, and the Recording Industry Association of America certified it gold. In September 2007, Combs collaborated with 50 Cent and Jay-Z on the "Forbes I Get Money Billion Dollar Remix".

In June 2008, Combs's representative denied rumours of another stage-name change. In August, he began hosting the VH1 reality series "I Want to Work for Diddy". He also appeared as lawyer Derek Powell in two episodes of the seventh season of "CSI: Miami", titled "Presumed Guilty" and "Sink or Swim".

In 2010, Combs formed the rap group Dream Team, which included Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, Red Café, and Fabolous. That year, he appeared at a live comedy show hosted by Chris Gethard at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City. In June, he played record executive Sergio Roma in the comedy film "Get Him to the Greek". He also made a guest appearance on the television series "Entourage" during its 2010 season.

In 2009, Combs formed the musical group Diddy – Dirty Money with singers Dawn Richard and Kalenna Harper. The group's debut and only studio album, "Last Train to Paris", was released by Interscope Records on December 13, 2010. Four singles preceded the album: "Angels", "Hello Good Morning", "Loving You No More", and "Coming Home". The singles achieved varying levels of commercial success. "Coming Home" reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, number four in the United Kingdom, and number seven in Canada. Combs produced the group and regularly performed with its members. On March 10, 2011, they performed "Coming Home" on "American Idol".

In April 2011, Combs guest-starred in the first season of "Hawaii Five-0" as an undercover New York Police Department detective. In November 2012, he appeared in an episode of the eighth season of the sitcom "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia".

On February 26, 2014, Combs premiered "Big Homie", featuring Rick Ross and French Montana, as the first single from his mixtape "MMM (Money Making Mitch)", which was initially planned for release that year. The single became available for digital download on March 24, and a trailer for its music video followed two days later. The full video was released on March 31. Combs used the name Puff Daddy for the project. "MMM" was eventually released as a free 12-track mixtape on November 4, 2015.

In July 2014, Combs and Israeli record producer Guy Gerber released the collaborative album "11:11" as a free download. On June 29, 2015, Combs released "Finna Get Loose", featuring vocals and production by Pharrell Williams.

In July 2015, Gizzle, an artist signed to Bad Boy Entertainment, announced that she was collaborating with Combs on "No Way Out 2", a planned sequel to his 1997 debut album. The project was subsequently cancelled. In April 2016, Combs announced that he intended to retire from the music industry after releasing the album and completing an accompanying tour, with plans to focus on acting.

On May 20, 2016, Combs launched a tour featuring artists associated with Bad Boy Records to mark the label's 20th anniversary. The documentary "Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story", which covered two concerts at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and behind-the-scenes activities, was released on June 23, 2017. The tour also visited 20 additional venues in the United States and Canada.

On November 5, 2017, Combs announced that he would adopt the name Love, also referring to himself as Brother Love. Two days later, he said the announcement had been a joke, but on January 3, 2018, he stated on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" that he had reconsidered. The name change became official in 2022.

In 2019, Combs announced that "Making the Band" would return to MTV in 2020. The revival was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently postponed to 2021 before being cancelled. In August 2020, Combs served as executive producer of Nigerian singer Burna Boy's album "Twice as Tall". He hosted the 2022 Billboard Music Awards.

In May 2022, Combs announced the launch of Love Records in conjunction with a recording agreement with Motown Records. Singer Jozzy became the label's first artist that month. In June, Combs released "Gotta Move On", featuring Bryson Tiller. The song reached number 79 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Combs's first entry on the chart since "Coming Home". It was promoted as the lead single for his subsequent album, although it appeared only on the expanded edition.

On August 22, 2023, Combs released a teaser for his fifth studio album, "The Love Album: Off the Grid", which was released on September 15. Its lead single, "Another One of Me", featured the Weeknd, French Montana, and 21 Savage. The song reached number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the album peaked at number 19 on the Billboard 200. Both received mixed critical reviews. Although Combs had signed with Motown, the album was released independently, with the label mentioned only in promotional materials. In an interview with Billboard, Combs described his decision as a move towards greater independence and control over ownership, distribution, and future production through Love Records and Bad Boy Records.

"The Love Album: Off the Grid" received a nomination for Best Progressive R&B Album at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, held on February 4, 2024. Combs did not attend the ceremony amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Combs

Studio albums

No Way Out (1997)

Forever (1999)

The Saga Continues... (2001)

Press Play (2006)

The Love Album: Off the Grid (2023)